Soot blower



w. -D. RIDLEY soo'r BLOWER June '6, 1944.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 19, 1942 INVENTOR TORNEYS June 6, 1944. w. D. RIDLEY 2,350,929

SOOT BLOWER Filed Dec. 19, 1942 s Sheets- Sheet 3 Patented June 6, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 7, S001! BLOWER. v 1 William Davis Ridley, Monkseaton, England images neember '19, 1942, Serial No. 469,581

7 cams: (01. 122-391) This inventionlrelates torsoot. blowers for marine or other high pressure boilers, and particularly to forced draught boilers having a rear combustion chamber and a. series of uptake heater tubes arranged at the: front of the boiler-above the smoke box. The blowers. ordinarily employed in these types of boilers are; permanent installations, quite complicated in construction and operation, expensive to manufacture and repair,

and frequently require considerable. auxiliary equipment.

The present invention is intendedto dispense with such permanent installations and, contemplates a simple. and relatively inexpensive port:

able blower comprising merely a length of pipe;

and a nozzle therefor, which blower will not only function in the combustion chamber to clean the boiler tubes but will also function in the smoke box to clean the heater tubes and thefront tube plate. The nozzle is formed with two series of discharge orifices or ports and: is capable ofadjustment to select either: series for useto-thev exclusion of the other, the orifices or ports of one series being adapted. to direct steam jets against the rear tube plate when the nozzle is positioned: in the combustion chamber, and those of the other series being adapted to direct steam jets,

against the front tube plate aswell as the: heater tube plate when the nozzle ispositioned in the smoke box. Moreover, the discharge. orifices of both series, except those used. in. cleaning the heater tubes, are disposed symmetrically around the nozzle so that a partial. turn of the blower in opposite directions will be sufficient to project.

the steam jets over all of the boiler tubes within different circumferential areas of thetube plates.

When it is desired to clean a boiler, the blower. with the nozzle properly adjusted,- is inserted through a simple fixture on the smoke box door and pushed rearwardly through a centrally located boiler tube so as to position the nozzle in the combustion chamber. After theadmission of steam, the blower is rocked orturned to and fro and reciprocated back and forth until all of the boiler tubes have been subjected to the action of the steam jets. -When the tubes are clean, the blower is withdrawn from the boiler and,

after the nozzle has been readjusted, positioned in.

the smoke box with the heater tube orifices directed upwardly. Steam is again admitted to the blower and the latter is thenmanipulated in the same manner as before in order that the steam jets from the nozzle will be'direoted into' all of the overlying heater tubes as Well as against the" entire surface of the front tube plate.

The fixture for the smoke box door provides an entrance to the boiler for thelblower and comprises merely a short horizontally disposed tube extending transversely through the door and having an inner bore large enough to accommodate the nozzle. The tube serves as a convenient means of support for the blower when the nozzle is positioned in the smoke box. A screw cap is provided for the tube to close off the entrance when the blower is not in use.

In the accompanying drawings'the invention has been shown merely in preferred form: and. by way of example, and obviously many changes will readily suggest themselves to those-skilled in the ,art and still be comprised within its spirit. It should be understood, therefore, that the invention: is not limited to any specific form or embodiment except insofar as such limitations are specifiedin the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a boiler, showing the improved blower positioned therein and indicating in broken lines different operative positions of the steam nozzle;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the nozzle (actual size), partly in section and. broken away to show details of construction;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the inner shell of the nozzle, also broken away to show details of construction;

v Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Y z 1 Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5-5 ofFig.2; z

Fig. 6- is a cross section similar to Fig. 5 but showing the nozzle in a different adjusted position;

Fig. '7- is a cross section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2 showing the nozzle in the same adjusted nozzle or head A and a suitable length of pipe A screwed into one end of the nozzle and which is adapted to be connected with a flexible steam supply hose C in order to permit the manipulation of the blower in the manner already stated. Entrance to the boiler for the blower A is afforded by a tubular fixture B mounted transversely in the smoke box door and coaxially aligned with a centrally located boiler tube, so that the blower may be passed freely and uninterruptedly back and forth therethrough to and from its active position within the combustion chamber B As best shown in Fig. 9, :the doorof the smoke-box is pierced to accommodate the. fixture B and the latter is fastened thereto by the door.

entrance is closed off by means ofa cap lii',filh g front end of the tubular fixture.

The nozzle A (see Figs. 2 to 7 inc1usive) includes mainly an inner hollow shell A 'ai1d an outersnugly fitting gas-tight sleeve. A ,I1which latteris held firmly against the end wall-:A of the shell byaclarnping nut A mounted one stud A riveted to the end wallA and project-. ing axially therefrom through a solid ltapered end portion A of the sleeve. At its opposite'end; the sleeve A is formed with a pair of spacedapart recesses ornotches a and'o and abuts, within a few thousandths of an inch, against acorrespondingly tapered head portion-A formed on the shell A by turning down the body-portion thereof to fit the bore of the sleeve. The notches a 1* are adapted individually to engage aradially disposed locating pin or projection a risingfrom the shell-alongsidethe head portion thereof, whereby rotary displacement of the sleeve is prevented when it is clamped againstf the endwa1lA i The shell A (Figs. 3 andi) is formed with two series of orifices or ports d ,'d and communicates directly with the steam pipe A? which is screwed intothe head portion A thereof. The ports (2 (six in number) are divided into" spaced apart groups of three, disposed symmetrically around the body-of the Shell and drilled therethrough at an angle inclined 'upwardly and forwardly from "the I longitudinal: axis of the shell; whereas the ports d (three in'number and spaced sixty degreesapartl'are drilled through the end wall A of the shell at an 0 angle inclined upwardly and rearwar'dly'from its longitudinalv axis. The sleeve A is likewise" formed with" two series of orifices or ports e e corresponding in number and arrangement with the ports in the shell, the orifices e being drilled through the body of the sleeve at an angle co-- inciding with that of the ports :1 and the 'ori' fices e? being drilled through the tapered end portion A thereof at anangle coinciding with that of the ports d The orifices e and ports d of thecorresponding groups are staggered in 'relation to one another so that steam from the nozzle will cover a greater circular area within a given radius than if those in the different groups were-aligned. i;

. Theshell A ,*for reasons presently to; appear, is also'fo'rmed with an extrapair of horizontally aligned orifices or port'sgfl, f drilled transverse-- 1y .therethrough at right angles to its longitudinal axis, and the sleeve A is formed with'a single orifice or port f 'corresponding with the port) and aligned horizontally with one ofthe orifices e in the left-hand group of three shown inFig.2..'.

'As the nozzle is thus constructed; by backing 1} off the clamping nut A the sleeve A may be adjusted relatively to the shell A to engage either of the notches a or a. with the locating pin a and then be locked against displacement in its adjusted position by tightening up the nut A. When the sleeve occupies its adjusted position shown in Figs. 2 and 5, with the notch a engaged with the pin a the series of orifices e therein are adapted to register with theports d in the shell,--while "the other series-of orifices e are shut off by? the end Wall A of the shell. On the other hand, when the sleeve is turned to its other adjusted position,

with the notch a engaged with the locating pin 11 the series of orifices e therein will register with those in the end wall A while all but one bf the orifices e will be closed off by the body of the shell see Fig. 6) Under this latter adjustment, the excepted orifice e is adapted to re;- ister with the extra port I of the pair in the shell before referred'to, and the extra orificeij in the:sleeve is fadapted to register with the other; extra portf so that steam from the nozzle will not. onlybe projected from the orifices e in'thev tapered 'end' portion .of the sleevev but 'also throughthe orifice: i and the excepted orifice: e in the body ofthe sleeve. I The use -of the blower in cleaning a boilerwilli now be .clearzzThe nozzle A is' first adjusted to bring 'the series ofl orificese into. use andlthen, after removing the screw cap B on thesmoke box door,-the=blower is inserted into the boiler and pushed .rearwardly through the centraltube, in the manner before described,toa.itsoperative position in the' combustion chamber B UWhen' steam is admittedt'o? the blower, the jets from the nozzle will be directed against the rear .tube'plate of the boiler and over an exceptionally: large area' thereof due'to the particular. angular ar-' rangement and disposal of the orifices around. the nozzle. rocked, say, thirty degrees inLOpposite-directiOnS; and rnoved intermittently back and .forth? to carry the nozzle-toward and from the tubeplate;

all of the boiler tubes willibe subjected-to the action of the steam jets and the cleaning opera-' tion may be completed in a relatively. short pe'--. riod Qf'time; "The'blower'is now withdrawn from the bo'iler; the nozzle readjusted to change the, directiomofthe steam jets, .and then inserted through the fixture B to its other operative po s ition'withinthe smoke box B At. thistime; jets. of steam-from the ports F, f will be directed .upe wardly against the heater tubes B and those from the ports (1 will be directed; rearwardly against the .front tube. plate. Once again; the blower is;ro'cked to and fro and reciprocated back and forth,-so.that steam from the ports f ,,f will.

reach all: of. the heater tubesand,simultaneously;

steamifrom the ports d will reachall of the boileritubes. When this second cleaning opera, tion-is' completed; theblower is withdrawn from the boilerand the entrance thereto "through the, fixture Bis,closed off 'by replacing the capB.

-A modified form ,of: nozzle is shown in Fig fi.

Here'it will be'noted that the sleeve A is; held.

resiliently in its adjusted positions bymeans 50f a-spring'lG actingthrough an axially disposed stud G to prevent endwise. displacement ofthe sleeve relatively to .the shell A The stud G at one en'd. islformed with a rounded headportion G lengagingzthe tapered end A of the sleevaand at it's 5 opposite end it is providedwith :a-nut G located within' the:shell.- The spring G is; ar ranged between the .nut' and the o posin :end

Consequently, when the blower. is.

wall A of the shell so that its compression will tend to holdthe sleeve and shell together and permit the adjustments of the nozzle to be effected in substantially one operation instead of the three required when using the clamping nut A. In other words, with the modified form of nozzle, a change of adjustment may be made by simply pulling out the sleeve A far enough to turn it from one notch to the other and then, after making the turn, releasing the sleeve and allowing the spring G to engage the newly selected notch with the locating pin a While the blower has been herein described as employing steam for the cleaning operations, it will be understood that compressed air or any other gas under pressure, if available and preferred, could be used to equally gOOd advantage.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A discharge nozzle for a soot blower including, in combination, an inner cylindrical shell closed at one end and open at the other end for connection with the blower pipe and formed at its open end with an annular flange, two series of ports, one series formed in the side wall of the shell and the other in the end wall thereof, an outer cylindrical sleeve snugly fitted to the shell, said sleeve being open at one end to slip over the closed end of the shell and bank against the annular flange thereon and having a head portion for face contact with the closed end of the shell, two series of jet directing orifices, one series formed in the side wall of the sleeve and the other series in the head portion thereof, a pair of recesses formed in the end of the sleeve at its open end, a stud radiating from the shell and arranged to be engaged in one or the other of said recesses, said sleeve being capable of p a combined axial and rotary movement on the shell to efiect the engagement of the stud in either selected one of the recesses, the relative location of the stud and recesses being such that in one adjusted position of the sleeve the orifices in the side wall thereof will be brought into registry with the ports in the side wall of the shell and the orifices in the head portion of the sleeve located out of registry with the ports in the end wall of the shell, while in the other adjusted position of the sleeve the orifices in the head portion thereof will be brought into registry with the ports in the end wall of the shell and the orifices in the side wall of the sleeve located out of registry with the ports in the side wall of the shell, and means for clamping the sleeve to the shell in either adjusted position of the sleeve.

2. A soot blower including, in combination, a blower pipe of suitable length, a discharge nozzle comprising an inner cylindrical shell fixed to the blower pipe and an outer cylindrical sleeve snugly fitted to the inner shell and capable of both axial and rotary movement thereon, said nozzle shell being formed with two series of ports and said nozzle sleeve with two corresponding series of jet directing orifices, the relative location of the ports and orifices being such that by the rotation of the nozzle sleeve on the nozzle shell either series of jet directing orifices may be brought into registry with the corresponding series of ports while the other series of jet directing orifices are located out of registry with the corresponding series of ports, and means for locking the nozzle sleeve against rotation on the nozzle shell in either of its said adjusted positions, said locking means being rendered effective and ineffective by engagement with and disengagement from the nozzle sleevebrought about by the axial movement of the nozzle sleeve on the nozzle shell.

-3 A soot blower including, in combination, a blower-pipe of suitable length, a discharge nozzle comprising an inner cylindrical shell fixed to the blower pipe and an outer cylindrical sleeve snugly fitted to the inner shell and capable of both axial and rotary movement thereon, said nozzle shell beingformed with two series of ports and said nozzle sleeve with two corresponding series of jet directing orifices, the relative location of the ports andorific'es being such that by the rota tion of the nozzle sleeve to one or theother of two different angular positions on the nozzleshell either series of jet directing orifices may be brought into registry withthe corresponding series of ports while'theotherseries of jet directing orifices are located'out of registry with the corresponding series of ports, a fixed stud or projection radiating from the nozzle shell, a pair of open recesses formed in the nozzle sleeve, one recess being arranged to locate the nozzle sleeve in one of its angular positions on the nozzle shell and the other recess being arranged to locate the sleeve in the other of its angular positions on the nozzle shell, said stud being engageable in one or the other of said recesses by the axial movement of the nozzle sleeve according to the adjusted position of the sleeve, and clamping means acting on the nozzle sleeve for maintaining such engagement of the stud and selected recess.

4. A soot blower according to claim 2, wherein one series of ports in the nozzle shell and the corresponding series of jet directing orifices in the nozzle sleeve are each divided into two groups spaced apart in an axial direction and staggered as between groups.

5. A soot blower according to claim 2, wherein both series of ports in the nozzle shell and the corresponding series of jet directing orifices in the nozzle sleeve are disposed symmetrically around the nozzle, whereby the partial rotation of the soot blower when in use will cause the jet directing orifices to cover a complete circular zone.

6. In or for a boiler having a combustion chamber, a smoke box and a series of uptake heater tubes, a soot blower positionable in the combustion chamber or the smoke box and adapted to be moved back and forth and rocked to and fro in either position, said soot blower including, in combination, a blower pipe of suitable length, and a discharge nozzle comprising an inner cylindrical shell fixed to said blower pipe and an outer cylindrical sleeve snugly fitted to the inner shell and adjustable thereon to two different angular positions, said shell being formed with three sets of ports and said nozzle sleeve with three corresponding sets of jet directing orifices, one set of ports and the corresponding set of orifices being disposed symmetrically around the nozzle and inclined rearwardly with respect to the axis thereof so as to direct the jets against the rear tube plate of the boiler when the nozzle is located in the combustion chamber, the second set of ports and the corresponding set of orifices also being disposed symmetrically around the nozzle but inclined forwardly with respect to the axis thereof so as to direct the jets against the front tube plate of the boiler when the nozzle is located in the smoke box, and the third set of ports and the corresponding set of orifices being located in endwise alignment at one side of the nozzle and disposed to direct the jets upwardly into the heater tubes when the nozzle is located sponding setsof ports in the shell and thefirst set of its orifices. out of registry with the corresponding set of ports-in the shell whenthe nozzle is located in; the smoke box. e e 4 '7. 7 A discharge: nozzle fora" soot blower includingu'in combination, an inner cylindrical shell formedwith two series of ports, an outer cylindrieallsleeve snugly fitted to the inner shell and forme wit two corr spon i g s r e o iie Td 1 3 3 o i e 5am he new I EEY adjustmenton the shell to bring either'series-pf or t esleeve i gis ry with the co es o se ie P r s nt sh e im e fonlocking the sleeve againstrotation ineither adjusted position, =eharacterized in that the shell is formed with a pairof extra ports spacedapart in an axial direotion but disposed in longitudinal alignment, and chara cterizedin that the sleeve is formed with one extra jet directing orifioewhich is brought into registry with one of saidextra ports in one of the two adjusted positionspf the sleeve, said sleeve in that particular adjusted position presenting one orifice of the otherwise inactive series in registry with the second extra port in the shell. 7 v f v I WILLIAM vDAVIS RIDLEY. 

